English ivy - a tree killer!
English ivy can invade woodlands, fields and other upland areas and is spread by runners. Seeds can also be spread by birds. It can grow both along the ground, where it can displace native species, and in the tree canopy, often covering branches and slowly killing trees. English ivy is native to Europe and was introduced into North America by early settlers for ornamental purposes.

Many of you may have noticed that in the past several years that ivy has started taking over some areas of the park. This ivy is an invasive species and has to be removed or it will kill all the trees as well as all the vegetation by smothering them. In the past several months the volunteers have started the eradication of the ivy from the trees by clipping it from around the trunks of the trees. This is the first step in the arduous task of removing this plant from the park, a task that will talk several years I might add. We could use all the help we can get on this project so get your clippers out and give us a hand. Just be careful where you put the clippings as they can take root if just thrown on the ground. (see image below)

Also you may have noticed that we have been doing a tremendous amount of blackberry removal this winter. The area around sunset vista has been restored and replanted with grass and wildflowers. Also the area at the picnic tables has been expanded. We have tried to make the area much more attractive and user friendly. We hope you like it and will respect the area when you use it. This is the work that the volunteer group does here. We hope you appreciate our efforts. If you would like to join the volunteer group, just ask one of our members. We need all of your help as this is a big park with lots of blackberries to remove.

Have a great summer!